A long overdue update!

Things have been insanely busy in my little corner of the world lately. I never knew having a baby would rearrange my time like it has.

The Lord has been so good to us this summer and I plan to share some of the things He has done for us in several posts.  Here is a quick update with pictures ;)

Our Little Princess is three and a half months old and I have no idea where the time has gone. I am finally getting back into somewhat of a normal routine and beginning to feel like my old self again.

 

Last month we celebrated my Poppa’s 72nd birthday. He is my maternal grandfather and the whole family was able to be there, which is rare considering how many of us there are now.

Livie, my Poppa and I at his 72nd birthday party last month.

Almost all of the 20-something grandchildren and 1 great-grandbaby with Nana and Poppa.

Four generations.

~~~~~~~

Over the summer in addition to having a baby I sewed for FOUR weddings. I do not know what possessed me to allow such insanity to take over. Needless to say, I found out that I am not Superwoman by any means and had it not been for my mom and sister helping me out and saving my bacon I don’t know what I would have done.  I am currently working on my last project/event for the year—a quinceanera dress—and as soon as that is completed I am going to take the rest of the year off except for my Etsy shop orders.

Well, I’m off to sew some more and do laundry from last week’s hunting trip.

Livie love!!!

Our little Livie is already a month old! Time is flying by so fast. Here are a few pictures from her first month. Her homebirth story is on its way ;)

Daddy getting his first good look at his Princess.

Our new little family.

Adoring little aunts.

Me, my Daddy and Livie.

Sugar and Spice

We have pink in our future! It’s time to start making bows and frilly dresses ;) I can’t wait for our Olivia Grace to get here!

Fears and Doubts

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. – II Timothy 1:7 KJV

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. –II Corinthians 1:20 KJV

Fears and doubts creep into the corners of our minds, often unnoticed. They start so small that we often don’t realize they are there until they have such a grip on our hearts and minds that we are paralyzed. They begin to slowly eat away at our confidence in our Creator until we begin to question His promises and doubt His word. We can be so immobilized by our fears that we are unable to obey the Lord when He calls us.

  The enemy knows our weaknesses. That has been established since Eden when Satan tempted Eve and asked her “Hath God  said?” (Genesis 3:1). He knows our weaknesses and he exploits them as much as he can. Our weaknesses in the flesh can make us doubt God. The enemy will use the things or hopes dearest to our hearts to cause doubts and fears to take root.

Most of the time, once we realize that we are overtaken by fears and doubts, repent and conquer them, we realize how silly and unfounded our fears were.

My own battle with doubts and fears was a hard one.  From my childhood, I have always wanted children of my own. I have always loved children and caring for them and little people hold a special place in my heart. There would be a literal ache in my arms and heart for children—even before I was married. I would cry out the Lord and ask for children.

When I was in my teens, on several occasions different ministers or people with influence in my life would come to me—out of the blue—and tell me that I would be a mother and that God would give me the desires of my heart.  Oh I would rejoice and get so excited and praise the Lord for His promises to me. I was ecstatic! The Lord was going to give me the desires of my heart! I had received confirmation from many witnesses and now I was breathlessly awaiting the day that it would happen.

  About this time the Lord laid on my heart a heavy burden for ladies who are unable to have children or have suffered miscarriages and loss of children. I ached for their empty arms, and when I heard their stories my heart broke for them and many times I shed tears for them as I called out their names in prayer, asking the Lord to give them a baby.

  Then one day when I was about 20, out of nowhere, came a nagging little voice, “What if you can’t have children?” It stopped me dead in my tracks. I scoffed at it. “That is ridiculous” I said. I laughed because I had been given a promise of children and it had been confirmed many times over. Fertility had never been a problem in our family—on either side. I shook the voice off and went on my way.

It was a while before I heard it again. “What if you can’t have children?” I went through the same thoughts as I had the first time—remembering the promises of God, reminding myself of the confirmations I’d been given, and it went away. But it came back. Over and over and over and over again like a song you can’t get out of your head, until one day I asked that question. “What if I can’t have children?” I opened the door wide and let fears and doubts stroll in and take up residence in my heart.

  It didn’t happen overnight. It was a slow, gradual process—like water slowly cutting through a rock.  There would be times that I would stand up to that fear and doubt and say, “No! God has promised me children. He cannot lie.” The fear would calmly answer back, “Did He specifically say actual children of your own? Or did He mean spiritual children?” “And why did He give you such a burden for barren women? What if you are one of them?”

I never told anyone about the battle I was in.

  I forgot about it for awhile and got caught in the realization of another of my dearest desires—being loved by and marrying a Godly man. The fears and doubts were pushed to a dark corner while I basked in the light of new love and a new chapter in my life. The future was bright!

After a little break, the fears surfaced again. I fought hard this time. The Lord had given me a husband, and He would give me children.  The fear and doubt agreed with me, “Yes, He gave you a husband, but barren women have husbands too. What if you can’t have children?”

  This fear was further fed by the fact that I was on hormonal birth control. We’d decided to use birth control for several reasons for a little while after we got married. It wasn’t a long term decision, it was only temporary, but it fed my fears. I knew going into it that it was not good for me, but I wasn’t going to be on it for very long, so the good side of it outweighed the bad.

Finally the time came when we’d been married about 18 months, we’d been praying asking the Lord when the right time for us to start a family was and I stopped taking birth control. I’d been told that it could take anywhere from 1 month to a year to get pregnant after being on birth control and we were prepared for that possibility.

I began asking the Lord for a baby, ignoring the fears and claiming the promises He’d given me. About three weeks after I stopped taking the pill, we were at church and towards the end of service we were gathered around the altars praying. I don’t remember what I was praying about, but out of nowhere a Voice told me, “You will not be alone for long. I am going to give you a baby.” I began to cry and thank the Lord for letting me know that He had heard my prayers. As further confirmation, a few minutes later, the minister said from the pulpit, “Rejoice, the Lord has heard your prayers and your promise is on its way.” When we left church, I excitedly told Jacob what had happened. He was very happy.

A week later, I started. The fears tried to creep up, but this time I would have none of it. I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord was going to fulfill His promise to me. I decided that it didn’t matter if it took a whole year for us to conceive, I was going to rejoice and thank God for my baby and know that every month that went by and I wasn’t pregnant, was one month closer to my womb being filled.

A month later, I found out that I was pregnant. After seeing the positive result on the test I wept and praised the Lord for nearly an hour. He had kept His promises to me and was giving me a baby.

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. –Proverbs 13:12 KJV

Tiny Packages

It has been said that the best gifts come in tiny packages—engagement rings, house keys, etc. The quality of the gift is not in the size or quantity. Tiny packages often hold the biggest surprises and change your life the most.

Next June we will be welcoming a tiny gift into our home and our names will change to Mama and Daddy. Glory to God!

Make hay while the sun shines

 

Last weekend we went home to help my family bale hay. We have missed out on a lot this summer with my husband’s work schedule, so we were raring to go ;) Here are a few snapshots of our Saturday.

The fellas getting something sorted out.

I drove a truck for a little while and had a little hay-hauling buddy, but she didn’t last long. Not even a full round around the field and she fell asleep. She woke up just in time for Mama, Nannie, and the other girls to come by with a snack.

Someone thought she had to pour her Cheetos into her mouth just like her Jakey did ;)  She thought he was doing a trick--not realizing his hands were dirty—and of course had to try it.

A flock of ibises stopped by for a snack in the hayfield too.

Time to get the hay in the barn.

.Deciding the best course of action.

My Papa.

Me and my biggest little sister before heading home for the evening. Do we favor much?

 

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (KJV)

I’m still here….

…even though I haven’t been around much. Life has been incredibly busy lately.

The Lord has blessed my little sewing business, once again I have things scheduled months in advance. I finished a 20 piece (yes 20 pieces!) alterations job for a lady and am about  so begin another set of alterations.

Things are looking good on our house—we are just waiting now for the title seasoning to be over. If all goes as planned we should be moving at the end of October. Prayers are still appreciated ;)

The Texas Homeschool Conference was wonderful. I got to see old friends that I haven’t seen in years and visit with new friends. And spending time with Mom and the girls and Daddy was great too. Here are a few pics from that weekend.

Faith thought she needed all the napkins for lunch. Maybe she was concerned about the red drink Mom gave her.

Lydia bought a toy gun with her very own money while we were there. You can tell she has heard her big brothers talk about guns quite a bit. She told Mom that she was going to try it first, and if it hurt her shoulder, she wasn’t going to buy it. Imagine that, a four year old concerned about gun recoil! She is too much sometimes.

As you can see from this photo, Hannah has lost her first tooth. Where has time gone? She should still be Faith’s age.

   On another note, my sister Wendi has begun making things to sell in my Etsy shop. She makes 18 inch doll accessories. Her first item is the shop right now, if you have a minute stop and by and see it and favorite it. I know that would thrill her to pieces ;) You can click on the photo and it will take you to my shop.

Summer Snapshots

What have I been up to lately? Here are a few glimpses into our life the last couple weeks.

Apple pie—yum ;)

A trip to the hayfield…..

Faith had to check the hay like Papa was to make sure it was dry enough to bale.

Faith “helping” me getting the pickles ready for their three hour chill.

Bread and butter pickles—my first batch ever. I’ve helped Mom make them over the years but these were my first to make alone.

We also made apple pie filling the same day we made pickles. I can’t wait to try it out!

Meet Fergus, the latest addition to the JHR spread ;) He is just a few hours old here.

And last but not least, here is Jacob and his little sweetheart being silly:

Bluebonnets and Bittersweet Goodbyes

This morning I’m going to say goodbye to a very dear old neighbor and friend. She is moving several hours away to live with her daughter. For the first time in my entire life, Mrs. Davey will not be “on the Hill” (as we like to call the area where she and my parents live).
My parents have lived next door and across the street from Mrs. Davey and her late husband for nearly 27 years. She is like a grandmother to me and there are few memories from my childhood that do not include her. She was specially escorted in and seated with the grandmothers at my wedding. She is like family to us.
  She has been the ideal example of a Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 lady to my mother and I throughout the years. She taught by example how to be a good neighbor. When someone is sick, you cook and take a meal to them. When you are going to the store, you call your neighbor and ask if there is anything she needs while you are out.  When your garden produces more that you need (even if it doesn’t) you call your neighbor and share. When your neighbor is in the hospital or at the hospital with someone, you check with them to see if gardens need watering or stock needs feeding.
She taught me to crochet, and taught me much about sewing and crafting.
One of the things that sparked the friendship between Mrs. Davey and my mother was actually me ;). When I was a wee little thing—under a year old—Mom was about to mow the yard. She was on the riding lawn mower and had me in the her lap. Mrs. Davey saw all this and came over and offered to watch me while Mom mowed. That’s just what neighbors do.
Mrs. Davey is a flower gardener extraordinaire. Her potted plants thrive! Her yard is always full of fragrant blossoms and bushes. Love of flowers is something else that we have in common. There is a grassy hillside on her property beside the highway and when I was around 5 or 6 years old, Mrs. Davey decided to plant bluebonnets, our state flower, on the hill. Bluebonnets can be difficult to get started, the seeds are finicky and you have to be careful to mow where they are planted at the right time, etc. Mrs. Davey had one plant come up and bloom. That was her hope for a blue hillside the next year, unbeknown to five year old me. One afternoon while Mama and Mrs. Davey were drinking coffee, my brother and I were outside playing. Me, ever the flower enthusiast even at that young age, spied a blue flower in the pasture. I knew that Mrs. Davey loved flowers, so I had to share this one with her. It wasn’t as easy to pick as I thought it would be—bluebonnets have tough stems!
I finally plucked the flower and proudly carried it in the house to give to Mrs. Davey. I’m sure her face fell when she saw her hope for a blue hillside in my hands, but I don’t remember. I do remember that she thanked me for the flower and placed it in water, but also gave me a firm, but gentle reminder to ask before picking next time. She explained to me that some flowers—like bluebonnets—were hard to grow and get started. To this day, every time I see a bluebonnet I think of Mrs. Davey and her patience with little me.
Mrs. Davey and her husband Dock were married for 61 years when he passed away. She was a wonderful example of a wife and helpmeet. She kept him at home and cared for him until the very end. She never had anything but praise for him.
Today I’m going to go and say goodbye for a little while, hopefully not for the last time though. Even though I don’t see her very often, just know that she isn’t on the Hill makes me miss her more.   Mrs. Davey is in her eighties and her health is fading. She is moving in with her daughter and I know that now, after years of taking care of others, she will be pampered and taken care of very well. As sad as I am that she is going, I am so glad that she will be in such good hands.
I am so thankful for the Godly influence this lady has had on my life.

Mother’s Day

  We had a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sunday. We were blessed to be able  to spend it with both moms at the same time and all of the extended family. My parents hosted a crawfish boil Sunday evening and family and in-laws on both sides came in for it. We have been so blessed that all of the in-laws on all sides get along and enjoy being together. It makes things so much easier and so much fun.

  Sunday morning we surprised Mama by showing up to go to church with her. She thought we were going to be at our church and drive out as service was over. That was very fun surprising her and it was so good to see everyone at my home church.

My Dad preached an awesome lesson from Proverbs 31. I enjoyed it so and was fed by it.

Here are a few photos from our day. Hope you enjoy!

Me and my wonderful Superwoman Mama.

Daddy, Lydia and Jacob starting to set things up. Lyddie couldn’t find her shoes so she just grabbed Wendi’s.

Almost time to put the crawfish in!

 

My grandparents and a little cousin. He’s going to be a big brother in a few weeks. We are all so excited.

We have always used this huge cast iron pot for crawfish. It was my great-grandmother’s wash pot. It is so heavy it takes two men to move it.

Time to eat!

Later that evening Jacob, Faith and I went to check our cows. One of our heifers had a calf the night before and I wanted to see it. Faith loves to see the cows. She usually falls asleep before sh gets back home. Sunday evening was no different.